On the 24th June I received an email from a lady called Angela who had just watched my most recent episode of Money for Nothing on the BBC (catch it on BBC Iplayer here). In the episode, I upcycled a Kilim rug into a Gladstone bag and 5 key fobs. Inspired by the show, she asked if I could take her late Dad’s old Army sack and turn it into a bag for her.

After some discussion of different options, Angela opted for a satchel type bag so I sent her the designs below showing how the sack could be combined with leather and new canvas in brown, black or blue. She loved the design but wanted the text to be on the front of the bag with the flap made of leather to preserve the text from wear and tear.

**Satchel Design with different colour way options**

Once we had agreed on the design and all the elements such as the lining, shoulder strap and handle, I got to work. I used black leather from an old sofa, keeping with the upcycling theme and a blue denim cotton for the lining.

The final product…

**Front, back and inside of the finished satchel**

I love doing commissions like these as they not only hold a lot of sentimental attachment, but each one is unique and receiving feedback like this below, is so rewarding. If you have an item you would like transformed into a bag, be it a rug, sack or jacket, do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss the options. You can see other examples of projects like this here.

Angela’s review

I recently had a satchel made from my father’s old army sack , 80 years old, by the extremely talented Rosanna . The sack is now preserved which I will treasure and it will be passed down to my daughter . Her craftsmanship is second to none. Words are difficult to express how delighted I am. Thank you, Angela x

Dad's Army Bag Transformation

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